Blood of Demons, Tears of an Angel Yaoi version
by BlackFalcon002
Summary: Riku's dying from his injuries, and he wants to hide it from Sora...but he's going to find out eventually. Yaoi, SoraXRiku


Hello, ya'll, and welcome to the yaoi version of this story! For those of you who don't know, I am Chris. Fear me. This fic gets pretty bloody with NO VIOLENCE, so go figure, ah? Or just read the damn fic, makes no difference to me. Also a lime, with a shlight bit of extra detail on the makey-outey scene. Oh, just read it, you'll know what the Hell I'm talking about. Also a lot of detail on the blood...sorry about that too. So review and flame on as you please. I like getting honest reviews. And if you think it's good, I love you. If not, tell me why and I'll fix it. Unless you don't like yaoi, in which case I'll tell you to burn in Hell, because you'll be bitchin' to me for no reason, and it's waste of time. Grr. I'm trying to be intimidating through typing...and it's...not...working...

My shoulder struck the wall as I staggered, so I decided to keep it there. I mean, what the hell, it was better than falling over. But it didn't matter if I stood, sat, fell, or did the hula. It wasn't going to change anything.

And just as I said, it didn'tchange anything. Pain wracked my body, emanating from my side. I doubled over, fighting the overwhelming urge to pass out. I had done that once, and it had only made things worse. Already, blood flowed down my chin, and I coughed, red flecks spattering the wall. Sinking to my knees despite the wall's support, I retched, the wood floor turning red with my blood. Likewise, it had also dripped on my hair, turning its silvery-white sheen crimson.

A high feminine voice reached my ears, calling my name and asking where I was. I felt whatever color remained in my face drain away. It was Kairi. And she had undoubtedly brought Sora with her. My fears were confirmed as his voice melded with hers, asking if I was here. I groaned, not only because they were here, but because the pain in my side had just doubled.

Sora. The one person I couldn't tell. I _wouldn't_ tell anyone else, but with him, I _couldn't. _He would be understanding, he would be kind, but mostly he would just worry. I can't do that to him. Sora just found the two of us after two years of searching (actually, one year he was sleeping. I'm sure Kairi found _that _amusing) and he's gone through hell more than once to do it. To find me like this…

That final battle with Xemnas took a lot out of me, in more that one way. I knew that the second that the red blade struck my side. Perhaps, now that I look back on it, I should have stayed in that place, or even if I had simply died. Either would have been an improvement, as opposed to causing my friends even more pain. Was it not enough that I had betrayed them for the darkness, given my body to Xehanort's Heartless, kept Kairi from Sora for my own benefits, then the whole deal with the Organization XIII, and keeping myself hidden from him when he was searching for me with everything he had? But no, now this is happening to me. So I've kept it hidden from them, kept my agony shielded from their eyes. This time, it's my burden to share alone.

Unless they find me, that is. Lucky for me, the pain didn't last too long. It has a certain weird pattern—hit fast and hard when I'm least expecting it, then grow in intensity until it reaches it's peak, then taper off until it's nothing but a memory waiting to return. I have no idea how long it really lasts, though. It could be ten seconds. It could be ten years. I can't tell when I'm busy dealing with it.

It left quickly, leaving me on my knees in a puddle of blood, panting and sweating. Clearing my throat as I staggered to my feet, I spat a red glob into the sink. Damn. I had just cleaned the bathroom, too, from the last time this had happened. This morning. It's been happening more and more frequently lately, and I'm not sure why. It can be triggered by outside forces—like when I was sparring with Wakka and he got me pretty hard in the side. Stupid metal pole. I managed to knock him out in time, for which I actually feel kinda bad, and get away before I started hocking blood. But most of the time, it just happens randomly.

I opened the door, calling, "Hang on, I'll be there in a minute!"

"Well, hurry up already!" came Kairi's voice.

"Yeah! Get your lazy butt down here, Riku!" Sora yelled. I couldn't help but smile at his demand. Imagine, Sora calling me lazy. That's like me calling him smart. Touché.

Cleaning up the blood from the floor and walls didn't take too long. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only problem. It took me forever to get it out of my hair. I stood back, making sure that there were no pink blots remaining, then looked down and swore loudly. I was _covered _in blood. Both my jeans and black-and-white shirt had russet stains splashed liberally on them. Shoving the blood-soaked towels into the nearest cabinet, I reached for the door handle.

Only to recoil in shock as someone on the other side of the door knocked loudly.

"Hey Riku, you in there?"

Oh shit. Sora. I couldn't let him see me like this. He'd either think I was sick or a deranged maniac. Either would be bad, but I'm guessing that neither he nor Kairi would pin me as a homicidal psycho-killer. And I don't want or need their pity.

I don't know what it is about him that makes me yearn for something…_more, _almost. But that looks in his eyes that he gets whenever he looks at me…I need him.

Exceptions can be made, of course, and right now I'd do anything to make him go away, even though my heart tells me no. My mind raced for an excuse, grasping at something desperately.

"I was, uh, in the shower," I said to him through the door.

"Are you done?"

"No. Can you get me clothes from my room?"

Sigh. "Whatever. Sure."

Was that a snicker? Oh well. As soon as he left, I removed the bloody clothes and stuck them in the same cabinet as the towels. Stripped down to my boxers I waited for his return. When he came, I cracked open the door, not wanting to open it in case I had left a red splotch in the corner or something, grabbing at the clothes. Then I looked at them.

"Soraaaaaa…" I growled, and he giggled madly. I kicked the door open and chased him downstairs. Kairi stared in shock as I tackled Sora wearing nothing but my dark blue boxers with a pattern of a dragon fighting a tiger. I don't know why I wore those today. I just did. Oh well.

"What the _hell?"_ she said, amazed. I tossed the bundle of clothes, which I still held in my hand, at her feet, still wrestling with Sora.

"Those—ouch—yours?" I asked with a grin. She stared down openmouthed at the pink jacket, the black-and-purple mini…and I mean _mini…_skirt, and, the real catch, lacy pink panties and Victoria's Secret—get this—_push-up _bra. Kairi blushed, eyes narrowing into slits at the brunette that was currently in a headlock. Kairi's burning glare made him freeze, petrified in the path of her penetrating gaze. I quickly pushed him towards her as she pounced. Leaping on him, she brought him crashing to the ground and started tickling the hell out of him, (the poor bastard). Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Kairi had definitely been scorned. How he got the clothes, I'll never know. I went back upstairs to my room to get real clothes, listening to Sora yelping and screeching.

†††††

Kairi's fingers sought out the most ticklish spots on Sora's body. He twisted and thrashed, trying to escape her, but to no avail. He gasped for breath, barely able to breathe.

'God, I _hate _being tickled,' he thought, starting to panic. It seemed like she had been doing this for the last ten minutes.

"Kairi, quit it, you're gonna kill him," said a voice. The torture stopped, leaving Sora gulping for air, wheezing slightly. Kairi stood, straightening her skirt primly.

"Sorry, Riku, but they _are _mine, so…"

Sora looked up at Riku from his present position on the floor. He had chosen black jeans, and a loose-fitting sleeveless black shirt. Several belts hung from his hips, only one seeming to have any effect whatsoever, albeit not much of one, and a silver chain circled his neck, from which a small silver knife was hanging. Sora felt like almost a dork next to him in a bright red tee shirt and blue jeans, the same old necklace around his neck, the crown glinting in the sunlight. His black jacket was tied around his waist. He tried not to stare at the radiant beauty standing over him.

Grasping the proffered hand, Sora stood, still breathing hard, inspecting Riku closely, and then looking away quickly, looking guilty.

"Thanks," he panted. Riku just rolled his eye and grinned.

"You got beat by a girl…because she was _tickling _you," he teased. Kairi punched him, making him laugh and rub his arm ruefully.

"I really have to go to, you know, after all that, so…I'll be right back," said Sora, watching Riku's expression closely. He thought he saw a flash of worry cross the older boy's face, but it was swiftly replaced by his normal emo expression. He nodded, releasing the smaller hand. Sora, still a little weak around the knees, stumbled up the stairs and into the bathroom. Immediately, his eyes shifted around, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

His gaze landed on the cabinet, where a small amount of red clung to the handle. He brushed it with the tip of his middle finger; it came away wet.

'Is this _blood?' _Sora asked himself, almost afraid of the answer, but he already knew it. No matter how much his mind refused to accept it, his heart assured him that that was exactly what it was. His hands, trembling ever so slightly, reached for the handle again, holding on to it unsteadily. One tug, and the cabinet door swung open, and he could see the pile off blood-soaked clothes and towels. Sora's breath caught in his throat, and he shut the door with a snap.

'What the hell is going on?' Sora figured that since Riku wasn't a girl, having a heavy period wouldn't exactly count as an excuse. And there weren't many people besides everyone's parents and the other kids to kill, so seeing him as a psychomaniacal killer was out.

Then what _was _it?

†††††

I waited for Sora's return, almost breathless with worry. Had he found the bloody material that I had hastily shoved into the cabinet? To take my mind off things, I talked to Kairi.

"So what are you guys doing here anyway?" I asked. Kairi laughed.

"Don't you remember? We're going to the island today. It was pretty much all we were talking about yesterday."

Shit. Really? I don't remember that at all…

"Oh…right!" I agreed heartily, trying to tell myself that I couldn't hear the totally obvious lie in my voice.

"You didn't _forget, _did you?" said Kairi with mock suspicion.

"Of course not," I said defensively. Of course I had. I was chucking blood left and right, how was I supposed to remember anything? Geez, these people are asking too much of me.

I heard Sora's feet thudding against the steps as he descended. I tried to glare at him for the whole stealing-Kairi's-clothes-and-giving-them-to-me thing, but the best I could manage was a half-lidded stare that probably made me look stoned. It was impossible for me to stay mad at him for any length of time, no matter what he did. Even the time he got me completely drunk and I woke up in the morning next to Cloud, I blamed myself for letting him pass me shot after shot. However, so as you can see how twisted my logic is, I also got mad at Tifa and Yuffie for giving that sociopath shot after shot. Sora's just so cheerful, and that petulant, lovable expression just keeps me from getting mad again and again and again.

His twinkling blue eyes landed on Kairi as he skipped into the room, but there was something different in his manner that made me hold me breath, waiting for the questions that I knew would be coming…

"Can we go now?" Sora asked impatiently.

My mouth, already on its way down for denials and lame excuses, hung open for a second before snapping shut. So instead of saying anything, I just rolled my eyes again, trying to pull off my trademark smirk because it pisses people off, and we headed out the door. The whole way we were bickering and fighting over the stupidest things, something that we all happen to excel in. People wonder what the hell is going on inside our heads, but we can honestly say that they don't want to know. Because believe me, you don't want to know.

†††††

Sora couldn't help but stare at Riku the whole way over, not only because he was worried, but because the silver-haired teen possessed a casual yet defined beauty that quite frequently took his breath away. But once over Sora knew he had to get down to business.

"Eh...Kairi?" he said. "Can I talk to you privately?" The other two just gave him blank looks, and he quickly blurted, "There's just something that I, uh, need a girl's advice on."

Riku cracked up, and Kairi giggled. Sora blushed and kicked sand in embarrassment. He felt like an idiot, but he also felt that this had to get done. Riku obligingly walked away. The other two watched the lone figure far away on the beach where he was skipping stones into the briny surf.

"So…what's this big issue of yours?" asked Kairi, smiling.

"Well…take a good look at Riku's neck the next time you see him, because…well…"

Kairi interrupted, incredulous. "Oh my God! Does he have a hickey or something?"

"No! At least…that's not what I was looking at. No, it was this long streak of red…and it was blood. So when I went to the bathroom, I just took a quick look around, and…I found this pile of clothes, but they were covered in blood, too."

Kairi's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to say something, closed it, opened it, closed it again. Finally, she said, "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Oh my God…I had no idea that there was anything wrong."

"But that's the thing!" Sora exclaimed, "I don't think that there really is anything wrong…at least, I'm not sure. He hasn't been acting strange—at least, not that I've noticed—and he's still as active as ever."

Kairi nodded. "Has he said anything to you?" Sora shook his head.

"What do you think it is?" he asked.

"I have no idea what it is, actually. Maybe he's a cutter, maybe he got hurt…he could be sick…or some little animal got it in his mind to go and self-destruct in front of him—"

"Why are you joking around about this?" Sora snapped. Kairi blinked. "He could be seriously hurt, even _dying, _and all you can do is kid yourself into thinking he's okay?" His voice was rising steadily, and the last five words were shouted. A flash of hurt shone in Kairi's eyes, but it was swiftly banished by anger.

"Who are you kidding? Look at him, he's fine! There's no way he could be dying! Just the other day he knocked out Wakka in a sparring match. You know how hard it is to catch him off guard when you're fighting him, you think a sick person could do that?"

"No, but a desperate person might be able to! Wakka said he'd hit Riku hard right before he got knocked out, and when he woke up, Riku was gone! He's not the kind of person to leave someone behind if they're hurt, so he must have left for a _reason—"_

"There was no reason! It was an accident, there was no reason to stay behind. It's not like he was going to die because he got hit on the head—"

"When was the last time you left an unconscious person just lying there?"

"It's not like we don't know where we are, it's out island! Nothing's going to come and eat his face off, it's safe here! There's no way that Riku's sick, the blood must have come from something else—"

"Like _what? _You weren't there, you didn't see how much blood was on it! Where else would it have come from? A small animal exploded in front of him?"

"Why are you throwing my words back on me like that? It's not like I know—"

"That's right, you _don't _know! So don't make fun of it until you do! You don't love him like I do!" Sora snapped, on the verge of screaming it into her face, then his brain caught up with his mouth. His mouth whipped shut, and Kairi gasped. A long pause stretched out between them.

"Wh…what?" asked Kairi finally, dumbfounded. Sora hung his head, tears burning his eyes.

"I…I love him, Kairi," he murmured, staring at the ground.

"How long?" she asked softly.

"I…I don't really know," Sora mumbled.

"Oh."

He looked up at her, and was shocked to see tears running down her face.

"Oh my God, Kairi, I'm so sorry—" he started, but she just shook her head and laughed. "I'm just being stupid. I'm really very happy for you," she assured him, drying her eyes hastily. Still, he felt horrible. "I'm sure he feels the same way," she continued.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' he thought sadly. 'He probably _doesn't…'_

†††††

I heard steps approaching,, and turned to see the two of them coming near. It made my heart ache whenever I saw them together—they had been picked out by pretty much everybody as the obvious couple. It hurt, but there was nothing I could do about it.

A twinge from my side, however, made me wince reflexively. Something was wrong.

"What's up?" Sora asked. Shit, he noticed. I could hear the concern in his voice.

"You were talking about me, weren't you," I accused mockingly. "You're both giving me weird looks." That much was true, anyway, but my false accusations made them forget about my involuntary grimace. As far as I could tell, anyway.

I didn't pursue the subject any further, and for some reason, they didn't elaborate. We kept walking, battering each other with mindless banter. I walked in front, but not enough so that I couldn't see the glances they were throwing at each other. They weren't lovestruck eyelocks, either, these glances. I could see that these were weighted down with worry and guilt.

Fuck. I had been _kidding. _They _had _been talking about me.

Sora's voice interrupted my train of thoughts. "Hey Riku," –I stared to turn—"Think fast!"

The blow caught me in the side, throwing me back. Yeah, my side. Can you say fucked? Nearly losing my footing, I saw Sora grinning at me, and Kairi smiling. After all, how often had we done this to one another?

A sudden, wrenching stab of pain came again from my side, worse this time. I knew exactly what it was—I was gonna start again. Soon. Thinking as best I could in what could possibly be the worst situation of my life, I shoves Sora as hard as I could and took off running. I could hear Sora shouting at me and Kairi laughing, making me smile grimly. At least _someone _was having fun. I sure as hell wasn't. _Definitely_ not me, as I was fighting against the blood rising in my throat, and the pain that was escalating quickly to the point of almost overwhelming. I staggered, nearly losing my balance again. Already, I could hear the sand scrunch as Sora gained on me, and I felt blood slide from between my lips and down my neck.

Two words. Oh. Fuck.

I swerved left into the trees, trying to lose him somehow. Scrambling over the bridge, I forced my knees to stop threatening to buckle. In the end I failed, though, collapsing in one of the many caves carved into the rock. Shallow though it was, I shoved myself as far back into it as I could manage, hoping against hope that Sora wouldn't be able to find me.

Blood erupted from my throat, and I jerked around. It splattered the rock at the back of the small cave, bright crimson even in the dim light that managed to sneak into the rocky chamber. Pain sang through my body, coming from my side. Cramping and twisting, my stomach muscles screamed in agony, and I doubled over, clutching my side. For the first time, I felt blood squeeze from between my fingers, slithering down my back.

The pain lessened just a bit. I sat up hopefully, only to grab the wall for support as it returned, feeling like it had doubled in its intensity. On my knees, I retched. Blood sank into the ground, darkening the white sand. Coughing, even more sand was stained as red flecks spattered the ivory grains. Blood was everywhere by this point—me, the walls, floor…my fingers jittered over the stone wall as I brought up another torrent of the red liquid.

A gasp behind me nearly stopped my heart altogether. I turned my head. It was Sora. And as soon as I lay my eyes on him, my body exploded with pain, ripping me apart. I screamed, but the blood rushing from me stopped my voice halfway through. I thought I heard Sora yell my name as I slumped over, my mind lost in a painful oblivion.

I woke to the sound of sobbing. My head rested on something arm and soft, and as I opened my eyes, I saw that Sora was hugging me tightly. My head rested on his chest, his hand stroking my hair softly. Tears, streaming down, dripped onto my face. His eyes were squeezed shut, tears leaking from the closed lids.

"Wake up, please wake up, Riku! You can't die on me now, not after everything we've been through!" he pleaded desperately, voice wracked with sobs. "I swear if you die, I'll kill you!"

I twitched, trying not to laugh.

"Do you have any manly pride at all?" I asked, hoarse. He gasped, eyes snapping open.

"Oh my God," he breathed. "You're alive!" I coughed, speckles of red dotting his jacket. "Not for long," I said, wincing. "I feel like shit."

Sora smiled, running his fingers through my hair again softly, making a shiver run down my spine. "I'll be right back," he said, leaping up.

I waited, back pressed against the stone. He had forced me to stay, although now I felt fine. Kind of. When he did return, he was carrying his jacket. He knelt in front of me, and as I raised my hands he slapped the aside impatiently, pushing the jacket onto my face. It was cool and wet—no doubt he had doused it in the waterfall. I just closed my eyes, letting him wash away the blood that painted my features.

"I'm sorry," I said as it slipped across my neck. It paused. Then a weight hit me softly, and I opened my eyes. Sora was punching me repeatedly, tears springing to his eyes again.

"Why didn't you _tell _me?" he cried. I just sat there, watching him hit me but not really feeling it. "What kept you from telling me about this? You think I wouldn't find out?" He collapsed, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Did you think I wouldn't _care?" _

I was silent for a second before finally saying, "I…I didn't want you to know. Everything that happened was my fault…and I've been in trouble before, I just didn't want you to worry about me—"

A stinging blow jerked my head to the side. I could still hear the echoes pounding inside my head, cheek numb from the backhanded slap.

"I told you! You don't have to do everything by yourself. You have friends, who _care," _Sora said. I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat. A long, peaceful silence stretched out between us. I sighed and hung my head, jumping slightly as the damp cloth touched my stinging cheek tenderly. I flinched, but bore it in silence.

"Sorry," said Sora.

"No, I deserved it. You're right."

He stared,, incredulous. "You really _do _feel like shit, don't you? You're not arguing. Now what's wrong."

I sighed and lifted my shirt. The slash in my skin was still bleeding profusely, the skin stained red and jagged. Sora gasped, and I saw his amazed face as he looked at me again. "This has happened before, hasn't it?" he said accusingly. I nodded.

"Ever since we got back."

"And you've…just been living with it this whole time?"

"Yep."

"You're a fucking idiot," he said, exasperated. I grinned. Sora stood, pulling the Keyblade from thin air. I eyed it suspiciously.

"What are you going to do with that?" I asked. Sora jabbed it at me threateningly. "Beat the shit outta you," he leered. I just glared, making him laugh.

"I know you can't, but I can cast healing spells," he teased. Sure enough, the neurotoxins raced through my system, speeding up the healing process, and hallucinogenic images appeared before my eyes, glowing leaves swirling around us for a split second. Then the leaves disappeared, leaving me with a view of just the cave, albeit blood-spattered, and Sora. He placed a hand on my side, saying, "Better?"

I lifted the shirt again. Where there had been a bloody gash was now smooth skin, and not even a scar remained from the aerial blade. I let the black cloth drop.

"Eh, Riku…" said Sora. He was, I now saw, staring at his hand. "You might want to wash that shirt before we see Kairi again, or she'll flip out."

"What?" I said, pretty much clueless. He grabbed my wrist, holding my hand in front of my face.

"…Oh," I said. What else was there to say? My hand was bright red with blood from the soaked material. Oops. I nodded and stood. A twinge from my side made me freeze. What the hell..? Sora was immediately beside me, worried. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing."

From the look on his face, I could tell he didn't believe me, but we both knew that there was nothing he could do about it. I walked to the pool, with Sora hovering at my shoulder. I have no doubt he was trying to discern of there _was _something wrong with me, but I did my best to ignore him.

I stepped into the water, feeling it lap around my ankles. I pulled the shirt off, feeling the leftover streak of red on my skin. The waterfall rushed over me, the pounding echoing in my head. I could feel Sora's eyes on me, and I smiled under the water weighing me down. Stepping back, I shook my head, sending water flying in all directions.

I heard Sora laugh, and the next thing I knew I was falling to land on my back in the water. 'The bastard _pushed _me!' I thought as I sat up, spitting out water. Sora cracked up, and I couldn't help but laugh at his immaturity.

"Fine, you pushed me," I said, holding out a hand, "now help me up." Poor gullible Sora. He actually fell for it, grabbing my hand. Just a slight tug was enough to bring him crashing down next to me, sending water spraying in all directions. Laughing at his shocked expression, I splashed him. He grinned, shaking his head.

"Kairi would find this hilarious," he said. Immediately I shut up. Of course. Kairi.

"Yeah. Kairi." I said, voice hollow. "I should probably go and find her. She's no doubt wondering where we are right now." I stood, my back to the brunette still sitting in the pool so as to hide the sudden hurt I felt at his words. Still, he heard it in my voice, loud and clear.

"No..! Wait, Riku, I didn't mean like that—" he said desperately. I laughed, the sound as fake and empty as my words.

"I get it, Sora, don't worry. You and Kairi go well together. Everyone agrees you're the perfect couple. Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"N-no, that's not what I meant! Riku, I…" his voice trailed off miserably, hopeless. I fought the emotions rising in me, and started walking.

I only got a couple of steps before I felt his hand grab my shoulder There was a rush of air, and my back was pressed against the rock. Sora's hands were clasped behind my neck, pulling my head down. Our lips met in a tender kiss that drove the breath out of my body, leaving me in a stupidly happy, oxygen-deprives stupor.

†††††

Sora didn't know what possessed him to do what he did, but he did know that, no matter what the consequences, it had to get done. And now, as the older boy's hands pressed into the small of his back, pressing their bodies closer, he thought, 'She was right…' before his lips parted with a breath of warm air.

Twining his fingers through the silver hair with one hand, he pulled it gently, deepening the kiss and sending tremors of excitement through both of them. The other hand stroked up and down Riku's back, feeling the muscles under the smooth skin. And, after only the briefest of hesitations, the brunette ran his tongue over the roof of his partner's mouth. There was a small intake of breath, making Sora smile against the older boy.

But they had to breathe sometime, and they surfaced for air, still wrapped around each other.

"I found the clothes," Sora breathed, licking the collarbone of the silver-haired teen in front of him. Riku just laughed, leaning down and nipping Sora's ear. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Sora thought about it a bit longer than necessary, distracted by the tongue that was currently moving along the length of his ear and tracing down his neck, making a shiver run down his spine.

"Not a damn thing," he admitted finally.

"Well, that's a relief," Riku smirked.

Sora pouted, tracing a finger over Riku's bare chest. "But I should punish you for being so untrusting…" his hands fell to the waistband of the silverhair's jeans and down, the skin beneath warming his damp hands.

"Aww, Sora, don't be mean," laughed Riku, tugging down the zipper of Sora's shirt. Sora grinned nastily. "Oh? You want mean? I'll show you mean!"

For the second time that day, Riku felt himself spun around. Water sprayed in all directions as they hit the surface. Sora pinned Riku down with his weight, head lying on Riku's stomach. His tongue ran in a circle around the older teen's belly button, tracing up the ivory skin over Riku's chest and neck. The other boy's hands caressed the bare skin beneath the open shirt. Their mouths met in a passionate frenzy, tongues rebounding and twisting together. Riku's hands, on Sora's hips now, flipped them over, their lips never losing their lusting unity. The brunette's legs straddled the waist of the boy on top of him, while his hands stroked down, pulling at the button of Riku's pants.

The silverhair hooked his middle finger through the chain around Sora's neck, pulling so that he was half-lifting the smaller boy up. Sora yanked at the numerous belts around Riku's waist, managing to unbuckle and cast away all but one. With a quick squirm, Riku's free hand slipped down, swiftly undoing the stubborn accessory. Sitting up even more into the other boy's mouth, Sora yanked off his already-open shirt, letting the soaked garment sink into the clear water, and they did the same, sinking into an infinity as white as the walls of Oblivion.

When everything was over, Riku looked at Sora. "Well," he said finally.

"Well what?"

"You're better than I thought you'd be," he said, draping his arms over the brunette sitting in his la, nibbling his ear affectionately. Sora laughed. "You were thinking about how I was going to be?" he teased.

"Of course not!" Riku protested too quickly. Sora just laughed again, nuzzling Riku's chest happily. "I was," he murmured seductively, making Riku blush slightly. He leaned down to hide it, and their lips brushed.

A faraway voice made both of them freeze. "Sora! Riku!" Kairi called. Her voice grew nearer.

"Fuck!" they both yelped, leaping up. They combed through the water, frantically searching for their clothes. Something dark blue and soaking wet slapped Riku in the face, and at the same time, Sora's shirt hit him in the side.

"Those are yours, right?" he asked, motioning at the pair of boxers in Riku's hand. The older boy nodded, yanking them on hurriedly. Kairi's voice kept growing louder and louder, prompting Sora to search even more frantically.

"Are these mine or yours?" asked Riku, holding up a sodden pair of black pants. Already he had gotten his shirt on as well.

"Yours!" said Sora, voice higher than normal with stress. He turned his back, trying to find anything else in the water. His nerves thinned to the breaking point. "Shit, I can't find my—"

"What the _fuck _are you doing, Sora?"

Sora turned, and saw with horror that Kairi was staring at him. Well, a part of him, at least. He clutched his shirt to himself protectively, as though her gaze would make it melt off.

"What the hell?" she said again, stunned, before bursting into spontaneous laughter. "Oh, man, I can't _wait _to hear the story behind this one!"

"Same here," said Riku, walking up to stand beside Kairi. Sora stared. He was fully dressed, with not a sign to give away the fact that he had been in a hurry.

'How did he get over there, anyway?' he thought. 'He just waltzed out of the trees like he didn't just fuck me in the pool. His mind, slightly hysterical, took over, and he pointed at Riku screeching, "YOU ASSHOLE!"

Kairi glanced at Riku before swiftly returning to Sora. "You have something to do with this?"

"Nope," Riku grinned, "I have no idea what he's talking about."

Sora opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to get the words out. Finally noticing Kairi's pointed stare, he blushed and said, "Hey, um…Kairi?"

He got no response.

"Kairi?"

Silence.

"Kairi!"

Nothing.

"KAIRI!"

She blinked, dragging her gaze away. "Whut?" she said stupidly.

"Can you go away while you…you know…find everything?"

"Oh…sure, right!" she said, turning bright red. "I'll just be by the dock…uh…come and get me when you're done." She turned and broke into a run, going zero to what seemed like sixty in about two seconds. Riku watched her go and grinned.

"Oh, she'll never forget about this," he teased.

"Shut up!" Sora snapped. Riku just grinned, letting his gaze drop. "You can't really _blame _her, you know…" Sora's blush deepened. "H-hey! Stop that!"

"Stop what?" said Riku innocently, walking forward.

"You know what!"

"Do I?" asked the older boy. He let his head drop to Sora's shoulder, licking Sora's neck. The brunette shivered with pleasure. Suddenly, Riku took new course—his tongue slid down, over Sora's bare chest and further.

"Riku, what are you—AH! Ah…o…kay…"

†††††

Kairi turned toward the sound of footsteps, watching as Sora and Riku ran up. Sora, now fully clothed, smiled at her, saying, "We're back!" His voice, she noticed, was slightly shaky.

She grinned slyly. "And what have you been up to?" she accused mockingly.

Sora immediately turned the deepest shade of red that she had ever seen, and Riku just coughed and looked away guiltily.

Kairi's jaw dropped. "You've gotta be kidding me!" she screeched. "I was kidding! You two—" she gasped. "You two…_did it! _Oh my God!

"No we didn't!" they said in unison. A flush rose in Riku's cheeks, giving her all the proof she needed.

"Yes you did!" she said, pointing accusingly.

"No!" said Sora, while at the same time Riku said, "Oh yeah? Prove it!"

"You're both bright red!"

The two looked at each other and blushed even deeper.

"See!"

"Oh, shut up, Kairi," said Riku, scratching the back of his head abashedly.

"No! You two just—"

Riku grabbed the lapels of Sora's jacket, yanking him forward and shoving their mouths together. Sora gasped, taken by surprise, before relaxing, opening his mouth invitingly.

They finally drew apart, with their tongues hanging on for one last taste of their paradise. They grinned at each other, and Sora snuggled against Rku's chest happily.

Kairi stood frozen, absolutely stunned by the sight that she had witnesses. Sora laughed at her expression.

"Think she'll ever get used to this?" he asked.

"I hope not. It's a good way to make her shut her ass in a hurry," Riku snickered, licking Sora's ear affectionately. The brunette grinned, nibbling Riku's bottom lip, making the silverhair flick his tongue against Sora's nose.

"Race you to the cove," Sora murmured.

Riku grinned. "You wanna set a record?"

"What the hell do you mean by that?" said Sora suspiciously, and Riku laughed, walking over to the still-quiet Kairi. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear. It took a few seconds to register, but then her eyes grew wide. Riku skipped back, grabbing Sora's arm and pulling him quickly away.

"What the—" Sora started, but Kairi's screech interrupted him.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, _ORAL?!?" _she shrieked, and Sora and Riku took off at a dead sprint, with Kairi at their heels in a blind fury.

†††††

The stars twinkled in the sky, and the moon turned the floor a pale white. Not for long, though, I thought to myself weakly. Sure enough, the white was flooded with dark liquid as I retched. Pain sang through my body, my side splitting. I sunk to my knees despite my efforts to stand. Blood spattered the white wood floor.

From under my hand that clutched at my side, I felt the muscles writhing like snakes, refusing to listen to the orders I gave them to stop. Through the agony, I felt the skin tear, _heard _it tear. Doubling over, I bit down on my arm, the only thing I could think of to do to keep from screaming. My teeth sunk in as the pain crescendoed, and my mind blanked as the pain reached the point of overwhelming.

Finally, it tapered off. Once again, I was left in a pool of my own blood, panting and exhausted. My hair was stained crimson, and my skin was striped with streaks of red. Swearing, I staggered to my feet, lifting up my shirt—almost afraid of what was underneath.

My skin was bloody from the new gash in my side, in the exact same spot as the last one. Actually, it was more like the old one had just returned from a vacation, but either way, it wasn't pretty. I ground my teeth together as it stung madly in the cool night air. I swore again, debating the dilemma I had on my hands.

Should I tell Sora? The obvious answer was yes. He could just heal it again, simple as that. But doubt assailed me. The healing spell had failed—either that or Xemnas was stubborn. I figured it was the latter. He wasn't the kind of person…er, Nobody…to give up, so I should have guessed that this problem wouldn't be going away any time soon. And both he and I had agreed that Kairi shouldn't know about this, so I couldn't tell her either.

But if I'm right about Xemnas, then no amount of healing will cause it to go away. And who knows what Sora would do. If he got himself killed for my sake... I deserve to die more than he does. If the knowledge got back to me that he was no longer in my life…that I could never hold my beautiful Sora in my arms again…

No, I wouldn't tell him. Not yet, at least. Maybe he'll find out eventually, but I'll take that chance. More than likely it'll kill me before he finds out I lied and it came back. But anything's better than having him get hurt for my sake again. I would _do _anything to keep him from getting hurt again. _Anything._

You can't always protect the one you love, but you sure as hell can die trying.

Forgot to mention, the yaoi version is WAY longer. Oops. Oh well. If you're still reading this, then you probably understand why. Or maybe not, but I like to write in detail. Anyhoo...Yup. Review. Flame. Or don't, be losers. Whatev.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Chris

PS Sorry for the thing about Riku's really annoying smirk that pisses people off. In the game, he'd be making fun of you, and HE'D HAVE THAT SMIRK. It was so cocky and arrogant, I just wanted Sora to strangle him with his bare hands, or beat the shit out of him with a Keyblade. Drove me up a wall. Then the second game came out, and I didn't even notice it any more, because I was too busy drooling on the carpet. _God, _he gets so much sexier.

Chris


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